Hermione's Little Brother
by Lullaby-Dream-24
Summary: Hermione came home from her fifth year at Hogwarts, only to find a surprise waiting for her, a surprise that will cause welcome changes in her life, and that will cause some people to have a change of heart. It's too bad that Ron Weasley doesn't think so.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione couldn't believe it. She had come home from her fifth year at Hogwarts the day before to find out that her parents had gotten pregnant a week after she left for school, and had brought her baby brother into the world only three weeks before she returned home for the summer holidays. But it wasn't the fact that her parents didn't tell her, seeing as how they didn't want to distract her from her school work. No, the thing that she couldn't believe was the fact that her parents had named her baby brother Draco Isaiah Granger. Isaiah came from Hermione's late uncle, her father's twin brother, who had died in a car accident when Hermione was only five years old. And Draco came from Hermione ranting and raving about the insufferable git for the past four summers.

Her parents were currently out shopping and Hermione was sitting in the nursery, rocking Little Draco, feeding him his nap-time bottle, and singing him a lullaby. When Draco was only half done with his bottle and Hermione placed him at her shoulder to burp him, the doorbell rang, causing the baby to burp loudly then start crying. Placing a binky in his mouth, Hermione cradled him in her arms, grabbed the bottle, and headed downstairs to answer the door. She opened the door only seconds after the visitor knocked loudly three times. She was surprised to see who had come to visit.

There, on her front porch, was the one person she never wanted to see outside of school: Draco Lucius Malfoy.

"Malfoy? What are you doing here? Come to harass the 'Mudblood' at her home, have you?"

"But of course, Gran-"

That's when Little Draco decided to spit out his binky and start crying again. Frustrated, Hermione moved back to let Malfoy into her family's home. She lead him into the living room, offering him a seat on the couch while she took he father's rocking recliner, rocked her brother while feeding him the rest of his bottle.

"It's okay, Little D. there's nothing to be scared of… unless you count Malfoy's sudden appearance." Hermione whispered to her little brother. The whisper was soft, but Malfoy had been able to hear every word. His eyes darted from the décor of the living room to Hermione when he heard her start singing the same lullaby she had been singing when she was upstairs.

" So, what's up with the baby?"

"Hmm? Oh, this is my baby brother. He's only three weeks old. My parents didn't want to distract me from my studies, so they decided to wait until I came home to tell me about him."

"I see. So, what's his name?"

Hermione bit her lip, debating whether or not to tell him or to just change the subject. After a minute, she decided that if her parents returned home and Malfoy was still here, he was going to find out anyway.

"His name is Draco Isaiah Granger. I call him 'Little D', though."

Malfoy looked a bit surprised.

"Your parents named him Draco?"

"Yeah. I was completely speechless."

"The name they gave him, why that name? By the way, he's asleep."

Hermione looked down, and sure enough, Little Draco was fast asleep in her arms. Getting up from the chair, she motioned for Malfoy to follow her up to the nursery so she could lay her brother down in the crib. Once the baby was resting in his bed, with Hermione watching his peaceful form, Draco came over and got a closer look at the baby that seemed to be named after him.

"You didn't answer my question. Why did they give him that name?"

Hermione released a soft sigh.

"Draco came from me always complaining about you for the past four summers when I returned home from Hogwarts. Isaiah came from my father's twin brother, who died ten years ago, on the day that Little D was born. I was five when he was in the car accident. He died within minutes of the crash. And you never answered my question. What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask you for a favor. I know there's a very good chance that you'll say no, but at least I gave it a shot."

Hermione turned to look at Malfoy, her interest showing.

"And what favor could you want from 'Mudblood Granger', Malfoy? You've never wanted anything from me, except for me to die. So, why do you come asking for a favor now?"

"I know it may be hard for you to believe, but now that my father's in Azkaban, he can't control what I do. The Dark Lord is a current resident at Malfoy Manor, and has taken my mother as his lover, to which she did not object, much to my disgust. I never want to follow in my father's footsteps on the dark side. It's always been a secret ambition of mine to become a Healer, but I can't do that if I'm associated with the Death Eaters or the Dark Lord."

"Uh-huh. And the favor is what?"

Nervously shifting from one foot to the other, Malfoy looked down at his feet, which he found to be rather interesting at the moment.

"Even though we don't have the best history, I was wondering if you could convince your parents to let me stay here for the summer. On the way here, I picked up some applications for summer jobs, like 'Ethel's Ice Cream Shoppe', the public library's summer reading program, and even the bowling alley down the street. I can work around the house, too. Believe it or not, I can clean just like any muggle can, and I happen to be a pretty good cook. I can earn my keep. I'll even sleep in the room above the garage, if they want me to."

Hermione just stood there, looking at Malfoy like he hd grown a second head.

"I can ask them. I'm not promising they'll say yes, but you'll have to really kiss ass to make up for all the things that you did to me that I've told them about."

"Deal. Also, I should probably mention that I ran away from home. Stupid thing to do, I know. You were my first choice to ask. I know I won't be welcomed at the Weasley's place, so that'll be my last option. Potter's home is my second choice if your parents say no."

At that moment, Hermione's parents pulled into the driveway. Hermione ushered Malfoy from the room before checking on her brother once more, after which she left the room herself.

"Well, let's go downstairs and ask them, shall we?"

Malfoy nodded before following Hermione down to the first floor, where they waited until her parents entered the house.

Hermione's mother, Jane, entered the house carrying two big paper bags of groceries, and came to a sudden stop when she saw her daughter standing next to a young man that her and her husband didn't know. Since there were a lot of bags in the car, she chose to ignore the situation until everything was in the house.

"Hermione, darling, can you and your friend help your father bring in some of the bags?"

"Of course we can. Come on."

Malfoy shrugged his shoulders, but followed Hermione out the door to the car, where her father was trying to carry ten bags at the same time to reduce the number of trips.

"Dad, let us get some of those. Mom told us to come and help you with groceries."

Her father, Gabriel, looked relieved and handed two bags to each of the teens, one of which he knew that he didn't know. And like his wife, he decided to put it aside until the bags were all in the kitchen. When the teens entered the house, Jane came back out and grabbed a couple more bags and asked if he was just as surprised by the young man as she was. Gabriel nodded his head and the two of them went into the house just as their daughter and the unknown teen came out for the last four bags.

Once all the groceries were in the kitchen, and put away in their appropriate places, Hermione's parents turned to her and Malfoy.

"Okay, Hermione, could you please explain who this young man is, and what he's doing here?"

Malfoy's hands were sweating profusely, and Hermione's heart had started pounding like crazy.

"Mom, Dad, I want you to meet Draco Malfoy."


	2. Chapter 2

Silence… and then…

"Wait a second. Is this the same Draco Malfoy that you've been complaining about every summer since you started going to Hogwarts?"

"Yes."

"Then what is he doing here?"

Hermione looked at her feet, then Malfoy, then finally at her parents.

"I think he should be the one to tell you the story."

"Okay. Into the living room, then."

Hermione and Malfoy followed Gabriel and Jane into the living room. Gabriel sat in his recliner, and Jane pulled her daughter next to her on the love-seat, leaving Malfoy to occupy the couch. Taking a deep breath, Malfoy began the Hermione's parents his story.

"I'm sure that Hermione has told you about what happened at the ministry a month ago." Hermione's parents nodded. "Well, one of the men that was after Potter and his friends was my father, Lucius Malfoy. When the Minister found out that my father was involved, my father was sent to the Wizarding prison, Azkaban. The man my father served return a year ago. And after my father was put in prison, the Dark Lord moved into my family's manor, and my mother became his happy and willing lover. Yesterday, when I returned home from school, I found out that the man had moved in a couple of days after my father was sent to Azkaban. Later that night, I saw him enter my mother's chambers and heard them… making 'love', if you can call it that. The man is pure evil, and everyone believes that I'll be following in my father's footsteps, but I don't want to. I've always wanted to be a Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital."

After his voice had gotten scratchy, Hermione had gotten up to get Malfoy a glass of water, which he had accepted gratefully. He took a drink before continuing his story.

"I ran away early this morning. I want to turn over a new leaf, but I know that most people won't believe me when I tell them. Coming to Hermione was my first choice, because she is the more level-headed of the Gryffindor trio. Potter is my second choice, because, even though our past is rocky, he can see the good in most people and can forgive those who have been cruel to him, though it can take a long time before he completely trust anyone, and Wealsey is my third choice, since he hates me with a passion."

Gabriel stood up for his chair and began pacing around the living room.

"Okay, let me see if I got this right: your father's in prison, his 'boss' moved in and he and your mother are lovers. With your father locked up, you want to follow your dream of turning over a new leaf and to help people. You ran away so you can do this without being influenced by the evil that this 'Dark Lord' shows to everyone and everything. Is that correct?"

Both Malfoy and Hermione nodded, but Malfoy was the one to answer.

"That's right, sir."

"So, why come here?"

"Hermione is smart. I knew that she'd be able to see that I'm truly trying to change my behavior towards others. I was hoping that I'd be able to stay here, until school starts. On the way here, I picked up a few applications for summer jobs in the area, and even though I was raised as a spoil brat that never had to do anything, I know how to clean, without magic, and I'm an excellent cook, as well, so I'd be able to earn my keep. When I was outside, I noticed that there's a room above the garage. I could sleep out there, if you want me to."

Gabriel looked at his wife, knowing that Jane wouldn't have the heart to turn the boy away, especially with the story he had just told them. Jane motioned for her husband to follow her into the kitchen to discuss what they were going to do. Hermione and Malfoy exchanged glances, both anxious to know what the answer would be.


	3. Chapter 3

- - - - -

In The Kitchen

- - - - -

Jane was standing over by the sink, looking out the window into the back yard, and Gabriel was leaning against the refrigerator, waiting for his wife to say what was on her mind.

"Gabriel, we can't turn him away. I can tell he really wants to change. He's willing to go get a job and do housework, and sleep out in the room over the garage. He grew up in the lap of luxury, hasn't worked a day in his life, and Hermione has said that he's never asked for help, even if he needed it."

"Jane, that boy has tormented our daughter since day one at that school. It could get better, or it could get worse."

"I know, but he needs our help. He can change, but he needs support, and understanding, to do it, Gabriel. Just give him a week to prove himself. If he can't we'll send him to Harry Potter, okay? Our daughter is willing to give him a chance to change, and we should, too."

Gabriel sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Sometimes, he never knew why Jane married him. She was compassionate and caring and smart, just like their daughter was.

Jane had turned away from the window, watching her husband, knowing that he was going to crumble any second. She crossed her arms over her stomach, waiting for an answer.

Three.

Two.

One.

"Okay. I'll give him one week. If he can't hold up his end, he's out, and over to the Dursley's he goes."

Jane smiled before starting to fix dinner.

- - - - -

In The Living Room

- - - - -

Hermione was sitting on the love-seat, reading a magazine, trying to occupy her mind, but it didn't help one bit. She was too nervous to hear what her parents had decided. She was on the fence about whether or not she actually wanted Malfoy to stay at her home. He truly seemed to want to change his ways, but he had tormented her for so long, she couldn't help the feeling that this might be a trick.

Malfoy had gotten up from the couch to pace around the room only a few minutes after Hermione's parents went into the kitchen. If her parents said no, then he would head over to the Durlsey's place, where Potter lived, and even though he knew that Potter's relatives hated and feared magic, he had a feeling that they might say yes simple because he tormented their nephew at Hogwarts, where they couldn't go, so it would've worked to their advantage in their minds.

After twenty minutes, Gabriel opened the kitchen door, asking the two teens to enter the kitchen, where they would hear the final verdict.

Once Hermione and Malfoy were seated on the stools along the dinning side of the counter, Jane placed the dinner in the oven and turned with her husband to face their daughter and her schoolmate.

"Okay, Hermione, Draco, here's the deal that your mother and I have come up with: We'll give Draco one week to prove himself. You must keep up your end of the deal. At the end of the week, if you were unable to prove yourself, we'll be sending you to the Dursley's with Harry Potter. But if you can prove yourself, you may stay for the rest of the summer. Is it a deal, Draco?"

Malfoy visibly relaxed. He had feared that they would flat-out say no, but he was relieved that they were going to give him a chance.

"It's a deal, sir. Thank you. I can assure you that you won't be disappointed. I already filled out the applications, except for the space for a contact number."

"Okay, well, Hermione can give you the house number at the end of the week, after we know if you'll be staying here or not. Just remember, we don't tolerate backtalk, nor do we choose favorites, so if you always have to have all of the attention on you, then that's something you'll need to get used to."

Malfoy nodded to Gabriel, then turned to Jane and thanked her, and asked if she needed any help with dinner, to which she declined his offer for the evening. Hermione got out of her seat and started walking to the refrigerator for a bottle of water when Little Draco started crying upstairs.

"I'll go get him. This way I can get used to handling a baby. I'm an only child, and I have no younger cousins, so no experience with babies in my past."

Malfoy left the room, heading up the stairs towards the nursery, where he picked Little Draco up from his crib. As soon as he had cradled the baby in his arms, his nose was introduced to a very nasty stench, which he realized was coming from Little Draco's diaper. Groaning, he walked over to the changing table, put the baby down on the top, and pulled out a diaper, the wipes, and the baby powder from the top drawer on the changing table.

After pulling the cotton pants of Little Draco's outfit off, Malfoy proceeded to open the bottom of the onesie-like top, and then the onesie itself. The stink coming from the diaper was a lot stronger now, causing Malfoy to start gagging a little bit. Opening the diaper, Malfoy lifted the infant's legs to moved the diaper from under his butt, and began wiping the poop from Little Draco's tushie.

Once all of the poop was gone, Malfoy rolled the wipes into the diaper and tossed the works into the Diaper Genie next to the changing table.

When Malfoy turned back to put the new diaper on Little Draco, he got a face full of baby pee, since Little Draco had decided to turn into a fountain just as Malfoy was about to lift his legs to put the clean diaper on. Malfoy thanked Merlin that his mouth had been closed. He didn't really want his breath to smell like piss.

After using a fresh wipe to clean his face, the table, and the squealing baby, Malfoy managed to put the diaper on and get Little Draco redressed. When he was finished, he picked up Little Draco and began leaving the nursery, only to be startled by Hermione who had been standing in the hall the whole time, watching Malfoy with her little brother.

"Geez, Granger, you could've just come in, you know."

"And have you pass on the diaper changing to me? Not a chance. Besides, if you want to pass the trial, you need to know how to change a diaper, so if my parents are at work, and I'm either running down to the store or in the shower, you'll be able to handle it. By the way, for somebody who doesn't have any experience with babies, you're pretty gentle and caring with one."

"Yeah, well, I just observed the way you handled him. It didn't seem that hard. I wish somebody would've told me that babies sometimes pee when you're changing them."

Hermione giggled for a couple of seconds.

"We didn't know he was gonna need changing. Sorry. Supper's ready, by the way. Come on."


	4. Chapter 4

Malfoy sat quietly in his chair while Hermione told her parents about her year at Hogwarts, and most of her complaints were centered around Professor Umbridge instead of him, for once. Every ten minutes or so, Hermione would look over and give him a small smile before reaching for her glass of milk. Her parents kept sending him glances, unsure if they were comfortable with him being there or not. He was surprised that Hermione hadn't told her parents about his first fountain experience, though he knew it was only going to be a matter time before she did tell them.

Little Draco was laying in the bassinet that they had rolled into the dining room from the living room. Malfoy couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face when Little Draco blew a spit bubble, which burst, momentarily startling the infant before he started squealing with excitement. Malfoy thought that, even though he was a muggle, the baby was pretty damn cute.

He could tell that this baby was going to look very much like Hermione, since he already had the same copper-brown hair, and his eyes were the same color combination of warm chocolate and honey. Neither of the traits truly came from the parents. Both parents had aqua blue eyes. Jane had strawberry blonde hair, and her husband had black hair. He figured that both of the Granger children had inherited the traits from their grandparents, which had been dormant in both parents.

"So, Draco, what kind of things do you like to do over the summer?"

Malfoy came out of his daze, and answered, since even though he wasn't really paying attention, he heard every word.

"Um, to tell you the truth, I've never really had a summer. My Godfather, Professor Snape, insisted that I spend each summer reviewing everything I've already learned. As a child, my father insisted on teaching me the traditions of pure-bloods, and my mother had me in classes every day with a tutor, mostly learning different languages."

"So, in other words, you've never had a fun summer."

"Correct."

"We'll have Hermione correct that, if you prove yourself by the end of the week. Jane and I will be returning to work tomorrow, so you and Hermione will be taking care of things around the house. We'll have a list of chores on the counter for each of you."

"Mom, Dad, I forgot to tell you what happened upstairs."

Malfoy went pale, and looked down at his lap in embarrassment. He knew he wouldn't make it through dinner before Hermione told them.

"What happened?"

"Malfoy actually changed Little D's poopy diaper, and before he could get the clean one on, his face was introduced to a baby fountain."

And as predicted by Malfoy, both of Hermione's parents started laughing.

"Oh, we would've warned you about that, but we didn't know he had needed his diaper changed."

"It's okay. I'll remember from now on. It was quite the experience, since it was the first time I've ever changed a diaper. By the way, he's a very adorable baby. I'm actually looking forward to spending a summer helping with him. Assuming I prove myself by the end of the week, of course."

Just then, Little Draco started crying, clearly wanting to be held and rocked. Malfoy looked around the table quickly and saw that he was the only one done eating, so he reached over and picked up the tiny infant, cradling him like he had seen Hermione do a few hours ago. Within moments, Little Draco was quiet and looking up at his namesake with interested curiosity.

Malfoy excused himself, and went to sit in the recliner in the living room, with Little Draco tucked safely in his arms.

About ten minutes later, Hermione, Jane, and Gabriel finished eating, and gathered their plates, placing them on the counter next to the sink. The three of them looked around the corner to peer into the living room, only to see Malfoy cuddling with Little Draco, rocking in the recliner, telling a story about dragons, mermaids, and magic.

Hermione and Jane both thought that it was probably the cutest thing that they had ever seen, while Gabriel was staring to reconsider having the week-long trial. Leaving his daughter to keep watch, Gabriel pulled his wife over by the sink, he began to speak to her quietly.

"Jane, I'm thinking about rethinking this trial that we planned on doing."

"Let me guess: He's already made a very good impression on you."

"Yeah. He's so polite, and he's gentle with our Draco. The way Hermione described him, I had been expecting a completely rude, self-absorbed teenager. Now I can see how much he really wants to right all of his wrongs."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, honey. We'll leave the list of chores for tomorrow, and if he can show us how well he does that, then we can give him the house number to put on the applications. He'll still be sleeping above the garage, but at least he'll have a family that truly cares."

Hermione had just noticed that her parents were speaking in a very secretive manner.

"What are you two talking about over there?"

"Nothing, dear, just about who get what chores to do tomorrow. That's all."

"Right. Well, I'll show Malfoy to his room. We'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"

"Of course. I'll make some hot chocolate, with lots of marshmallows."

"Thanks, Mom."

Hermione left the kitchen and walked over to where Malfoy was now singing a wizarding lullaby to Little Draco.

"Hey."

"Hi. He's asleep. You should've seen his face when I was talking about the types of creatures in our world. His eyes went really wide when I started talking about the Hippogriffs, especially my stupid mistake of insulting one. Remember that?"

Hermione started giggling. "How could I forget? You nearly got Hagrid sacked, and on his first day of teaching, too. I think you were just jealous of the fact that Harry was able to befriend Buckbeak, and you weren't."

"That's true. Potter always did have a habit of getting under my skin after he rejected my hand of friendship at the beginning of our first year."

"So, want to see your room? We can get you settled, then come back down. Mom's making us all some hot chocolate. Extra marshmallows. And it smells like Dad's making triple chocolate brownies. They're chocolate brownies, with lots of chocolate chips, and chocolate sauce drizzled on top when they're cooling."

Malfoy got up from the recliner, not quite ready to relinquish his loving hold on Little Draco.

"That sounds great, Hermione. Let's go."

And with that, the two teens, plus Little Draco, headed up the stairs, where there was a door that entered into the room that was over the garage.


	5. Chapter 5

In the upstairs hallway, Hermione pointed out where her parents'master suite was, then her room, and the upstairs bathroom. She didn't bother showing him the nursery since he had already seen it. The final door upstairs opened into the room above the garage, which had it's own private bathroom, a door that opened to the stairs leading down to the garage, and a door that went into the storage room. Malfoy had commented on his room being extremely simple, yet nice and comfortable.

Little Draco had woken up when Hermione opened the door to show Malfoy his bathroom, but only his namesake had noticed his renewed consciousness.

"Hi, there, Little Draco. Have a nice nap? You don't sleep very long, do you? Hey, Hermione, what time do your parents start getting Little Draco ready for bed?"

Hermione was busy closing the curtains over the windows on either side of Malfoy's bed.

"What do you mean?"

"When do they change his diaper, put his pajamas on, and give him a bed-time bottle?"

"Well, last night, they had me get him ready at eight-thirty, which is in five minutes, so we should go do that now, then I'll give you the tour downstairs."

Hermione and Malfoy left Malfoy's room and went into the nursery, where Hermione pulled out a fresh diaper, the wipes, the baby powder, and a pastel Noah's Ark pajama one-piece before walking over by Malfoy, who still didn't want to hand over the baby. Hermione thought it was funny how attached Malfoy had gotten to her little brother.

"Since you want to spend so much time with him, I'll let you get him dressed for bed, okay, Malfoy?"

Malfoy nodded, and placed Little Draco on his changing table, next to where Hermione had put the changing supplies down. First the outfit, except for the onesie and socks, came off. The diaper was removed next, and much to Malfoy's relief, it was only wet, and no repeat performances of a water fountain this time. Once he had finished putting the clean diaper on, Malfoy began to gently dress Little Draco in his light fleece pajama suit, which only took a few minutes.

Hermione glanced out into the hall, and saw her parents peering around the corner, watching Malfoy interact with their daughter and son, but mostly their son, since he couldn't seem to get enough of being around Little Draco.

It was a few minutes before Malfoy realized that he had three pairs of eyes staring at his back while he had been cooing over Little Draco.

"You know, it's not polite to stare. You don't want to teach Little Draco bad manners, do you?"

All three of the older Granger's immediately began fidgeting after having been caught observing the interaction between the two Draco's. Gabriel was the first to speak.

"Sorry. Jane and I just wanted to let you and Hermione know that the brownies and hot chocolate were done. And I should let you know, Draco, that in this house, we're in bed by ten o'clock. Unless it's a special occasion, like a wedding, anniversary, or birthday."

"That's fine with me. There's a ver good chance that I'll be in bed by nine-thirty tonight. You know, because of what time I ran away this morning."

Gabriel nodded, and the Granger family, plus Malfoy, who was once again holding Little Draco, went down into the living room, where four plates, with a brownie on each, sat next to four steaming mugs of hot chocolate.

Hermione asked Malfoy if he wanted to watch a movie before they all went ot bed, and when he looked at her funny, she pulled him over by the entertainment center, and opened one of the doors to show him a large collection of home videos of when she was growing up, and DVD's, most of which were either Disney or educational.

One home video title caught Malfoy's attention, and when he pulled it out to show Hermione, he noticed that she had gone red with embarrassment and covered her face with her hands.

"'_Hermione's First Ballet Recital'_?"

Jane spoke up.

"Yeah. That one is my favorite. Hermione wanted to start ballet when she was three, and I was so proud of her determination. When I was little, I was also in ballet, though I didn't start until I was about seven, and on the night of my first recital, I got a little too close to the edge of the stage. I fell off and broke my right leg, between the ankle and the knee. I was nervous the night we recorded hermione's first recital, because I thought she was going to have the same thing happen to her, but it didn't, thank God."

"I'd like to watch, if that's okay."

Jane smiled brightly.

"Of course, it's okay. Hermione, put the video in, would you, sweetheart?"

Hermione groaned but did as her mother asked, knowing that she'd be ridiculed the next day by Malfoy. After the movie was in the VCR, Hermione sat between her mother and Malfoy, who was feeding Little Draco his bed-time bottle.


	6. Chapter 6

The video of Hermione's first ballet began to play. In front of the big red curtains was a beautiful woman that Malfoy figured to be Hermione's ballet instructor, and she was welcoming everyone in the audience to the Christmas ballet recital: _The Nutcracker._

The curtains opened to reveal several ballet dancers who were obviously teenagers, mostly girls, but there was a handful of boys, as well. Malfoy was amazed by the beauty and grace of the dancers, and he was awestruck when a dozen little girls took the stage for the _Dance of the Snowflakes._ Each little girl had a different shade of blue for their ballet costume, all decorated in silver tinsel, and silver-colored ballet shoes.

Malfoy turned to Jane and asked her a question.

"Is Hermione in this scene?"

Jane smiled brightly.

"Yes, she is. She's the one in the icy blue costume with her hair in a french twist, which has my mother's silver snowflake hair pin holding it in place. She's also in the _Dance of the Flowers._ For that one, each girl has a different colored costume, and Hermione's is a rosy pink color with gold tinsel on it, and her shoes match the tinsel. The snowflake pin is replaced with a golden rose hair pin that her Uncle Isaiah had given to her for her third birthday."

Malfoy nodded and turned back to watch the recital, his eyes focused on Hermione the whole time. He noticed that she was the only one not completely concentrating on her movements like the other girls were. All of the other girls were thinking about their movements to hard and either stepped in the wrong direction, stepped on another girl's foot, or stumbled slightly, nearly losing their balance. Hermione kept her movements graceful and never faltered on a step. The cheery smile on her little face showing how much she was enjoying her first ballet recital.

The teen Hermione kept her hands over her face, not wanting Malfoy to see her embarrassment. The video had been recorded only twelve and a half years earlier, and she was still embarrassed to have anyone but the family see it. No matter how many compliments she had gotten back then, she knew that the teenage dancers would always be better than her, simply because they had more years of practice.

The curtains closed for the changing of the set, and Hermione excused herself to take the empty mugs and plates into the kitchen. She hadn't been aware of the fact that Malfoy had gotten up and followed her, still cradling Little Draco. She jumped when Malfoy began to speak.

"You danced so beautifully, Hermione. I mean it."

"Yeah, right. I may have been the best for my age, but I wanted so very much to be as good as the teenagers back then."

"They had more experience, but that doesn't mean that they were better than you. They had done so many recitals before that one, and it was your first, since you had just started. Did you notice that the other _Snowflakes_ were making little mistakes here and there, while you were dancing perfectly, without a problem?"

Hermione had to stop and think about it for a minute.

"Actually, no, I hadn't, to be honest. At least, until just now. They also made mistakes during the _Dance of the Flowers_, which will be starting in a minute, so we should be getting back to the couch."

Malfoy nodded and lead the way to the living room, and not a moment to soon, because the curtains had just started to open. Twelve little girls were twirling onto the stage, six from either side of the stage, all in various pastel colors.

Malfoy managed to pick out Hermione within a few seconds, and noticed that she was, once again, not fully concentrating, allowing the music to lead her movements, and the other girls were making little mistakes, again, from concentrating too hard on their movements.

Malfoy realized that if Hermione hadn't gone to Hogwarts, she would've, most likely, ended up choosing a career as a professional ballerina, working on her movements and performing in recitals these last five years.

All too soon, the recital ended, and the camera headed backstage to find Little Hermione, as he decided to deem her, since it was getting confusing to think about the Hermione he knew, and the Hermione he just seen dancing. Once she had been found, Little Hermione had ran in the direction of the camera and jumped into the arms of a man who appeared to be her Uncle Isaiah.

_"Uncle_ _Izzy, did you see me? I was a fairy, like in my stories. And the other girls want ot know where they can get the rose hair pin. Daddy, turn off the camera. Don't embarrass me here."_

"_But Princess, we want to remember this night, including backstage."_

Little Hermione stuck her tongue out at the camera before reaching out and pressing a button to turn off the camera. When the screen went black, Hermione got up and hit the rewind button on the VCR and turned off the TV.

"Okay, enough embarrassing me for one night. Time for bed, though it looks like Little D's beaten us there."

Everyone then turned to see Little Draco asleep in Malfoy's arms, one hand wrapped around Malfoy's right index finger, his binky in his mouth.

Gabriel shoo'd his daughter, and Malfoy upstairs, ordering them to tuck Little Draco into bed and then to get to bed themselves.

On the second floor landing, Malfoy turned to look at Hermione.

"You know, you could bring ballet to Hogwarts, and I'd help you with the classes, as long as I have a book to follow. But that's if you want to. You seemed a little sad watching the second act. Wanna share?"

Hermione shrugged and lead Malfoy into the nursery, where they worked together to change Little Draco once more before putting him to bed for the night.

"Okay, but don't laugh. I miss doing ballet. I felt so light, graceful, and beautiful. Everything that I'm actually not. I'm not fat, since I only weigh one-hundred and twenty-three pounds. I'm not a klutz, but I can't walk down stairs without feeling like I'm going to fall forward on my face. I'm pretty, but let's face it, I'm not _Top Model_ material."

Malfoy looked at her. He thought she was built to be a ballerina or a model, and nobody was completely graceful, and he knew that she was just being humble with her looks. The only thing he would change on her was her messy bush of brown hair. A few uses of his shampoo and conditioner would fix her wild mane.

"I happened to think that you're perfect the way you are. If you can think of yourself as beautiful, then you don't think about how you look to others."

Hermione whipped her head around to face her schoolmate.

"You know, that was the nicest thing you have ever said to me, Malfoy."

He shrugged, then picked up Little Draco and placed him in the crib, tucking the blankets around him to keep the infant warm. The two teens left the nursery, heading for their own rooms. Opening their doors, they turned to face each other.

"Good night, Malfoy. Sweet dreams."

"Night, Hermione. See you in the morning."

They then went into their own rooms, got ready for bed, and crawled into bed, both settling into restless sleep. Malfoy's was restless because he was in a strange home, and Hermione's was restless because the one that made her life hell at Hogwarts was going to be staying in her home for what would, most likely, be the whole summer.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Hermione woke up to the sounds of someone singing in the nursery. She knew that it wasn't the voice of either of her parents, and immediately shot up out of bed, rushing into the nursery, having forgotten that Malfoy was there. However, upon entering her baby brother's room, the events of the day before came back to her when she saw Malfoy in the rocking chair, holding Little Draco, with a bottle to the baby's mouth, and singing a lullaby that Hermione didn't recognize, so she figured that it had to be a wizarding lullaby.

Malfoy looked up at Hermione when she entered the room and nodded his good morning, but did not stop singing the gentle tune to the child that was content in his arms. As Hermione walked over to the dresser to pick out an outfit to put on her brother for the day, he turned his head back down to the infant he was holding, a soft, barely-there smile on his lips as he continued to sing.

Once she had pick out the clothes for her brother, Hermione placed them in a neat pile on top of the changing table in the order that the would be put on. From top to bottom, there was a pair of small white socks, a white onesie, a yellow and light blue striped cotton shirt, and light blue cotton pants. Turning to face the two boys, Hermione couldn't help the smile that creeped onto her face.

In the rocking chair, Malfoy had put the bottle down and was trying to find a comfortable way to burp Little Draco, with very little success. Shaking her head, Hermione walked over and took her brother from Malfoy, placed him at her shoulder, and began patting his back lightly until he had burped twice. Looking back at her guest, she noticed that Malfoy had gotten up and placed the empty bottle onto the table that was next to the chair. Opening his mouth, Malfoy began to speak.

"Good Morning, Hermione. I hope you slept well. Your parents left for work about an hour ago, after your mom showed me how to prepare a bottle for Little D. When he woke up, I figured I'd let you sleep a little longer. I was going to wake you up in a bit, because your parents want us to give him a bath, and I'm not sure how hot to make the water for him. They said that you would know."

Hermione nodded then motioned for Malfoy to follow her into the bathroom, where she handed the baby over to him to prepare the bath water. When she felt that the temperature was perfect for her brother's sensitive skin, Hermione placed the plastic baby tub under the faucet and let it fill up to the right amount before she turned and helped Malfoy undress the happily babbling bundle.

Once Little Draco was naked, Hermione took him from Malfoy and placed him into his little bathtub, dipping a soft washcloth into the warm water, then running it over her little brother's body. When she deemed Little D to be wet enough, Hermione motioned for Malfoy to hand her the baby wash, which she added to the washcloth, lathering it up.

Little Draco started to squirm when he felt his older sister running a soapy cloth over his hair, face, arms, and legs, and then he started babbling and giggling when Hermione ran the cloth over his tummy and in-between his toes.

Malfoy watched the two siblings with interest. He had always wanted a younger brother or sister, but he knew it was out of the question with his parents. They had their heir on the first child, so they figured that was all they needed. Plus, his mother hadn't been to fond of the backaches, morning sickness, or the weird food cravings, so she had been really against another child.

Hermione quickly washed all of the soap from her brother's tiny body, and asked Malfoy to grab one of the light blue towels from the third shelf next to the bathtub, then wrapped her baby brother in so that he would be nice and warm until they had gotten him dressed.

Back in the nursery, Hermione headed straight for the changing table, grabbing a diaper from one of the drawers after setting her brother on top of the changing station. Once Little Draco was completely dry and the diaper was on, Hermione motioned for Malfoy to join her in getting the baby dressed. He did the socks, and she did the onesie, Malfoy did the light blue pants, and Hermione did the yellow and blue striped shirt.

When the task of dressing Little Draco was done, Hermione picked the baby up, and lead the way down to the kitchen, where she placed her little brother into the bassinet that had been rolled back into the dining room from the living room. Little Draco lay in the bassinet contently, with a binky in his mouth, while Hermione and Malfoy worked harmoniously around each other while they made breakfast. Hermione made scrambled eggs and bacon, and Malfoy made pancakes and toast.

After the food was cooked and placed on plates, Hermione poured herself a glass of milk and a glass of orange juice, and Malfoy had a glass of milk and a simple glass of ice water. As the two of them sat down at the dining room table to eat, they both thought the same thing: living like this for the summer wouldn't be so bad. No fights had broken out between the two of them yet, and despite how he usually was, Malfoy was very good with Little Draco, and one could tell that Little Draco was fascinated with his namesake.

Clearing her throat, Hermione decided to break the silence by discussing the list of chores left by her parents.

"Malfoy, my parents left chores for each of us, and as soon as we're done with breakfast, we should get started on them."

Malfoy was busy making funny faces at Little D, and didn't hear most of what Hermione had said. All that had entered his ears were the words: chores, breakfast, and started. Getting a little frustrated, Hermione reached over at shook Malfoy's shoulder.

"Malfoy, are you even listening?"

That had gotten Malfoy's attention.

"Huh? What?"

"I said that after breakfast, we should get started on the chores my parents left for us to do today."

"Okay. That's fine with me. Let me see the list so I know what I've been assigned to do."

Hermione handed him the paper. On the sheet, her mother had written two separate lists. One for her, and one for Malfoy.

_**Hermione Granger**_

_Dust_

_Vacuum_

_Laundry_

_Weed the Garden_

_**Draco Malfoy** _

_Wash Dishes_

_Wash Windows_

_Take out the Garbage_

_Mow the Lawn_

Malfoy didn't think that the chores would take very long, and when he expressed his opinion to Hermione, she chuckled lightly and shook her head.

"Mowing the lawn and weeding the garden take the longest to do, so we'll wait to do those when Little Draco is taking his nap right after lunch. And once those are done, we can go into the pool to cool down before my parents get home. It'd be nice if we worked together and made dinner for them tonight."

Malfoy nodded his head and turned to finish his breakfast, since he only had half a pancake and a piece of bacon left on his plate, plus half a glass of milk to finish off, while Hermione still had a whole pancake, half of her eggs, a piece of bacon, and a full glass of orange juice to finish.

Just as the two of them were taking their plates to the sink, the phone rang in the living room. Hermione put her dishes in the sink and quickly pulled out the dish soap for Malfoy before she rushed into the living room to answer the phone.

"Hello? Oh, hi, Mom. Yeah, everything's fine here. Malfoy gave Little D his breakfast bottle, I bathed him, and we worked together on getting him dressed. Of course, we found the chore list. Yeah. Malfoy's starting the dishes now, and I was about to start the dusting. I made eggs and bacon. No, that wasn't all we ate. Malfoy made pancakes and toast. Yeah, I know. _(Little Draco starts crying in the dining room)_ Oh, Mom, I gotta go. Little Draco's crying. We'll behave. Okay. Bye, Mom."

Hermione hung up the phone and hurried into the dining room to pick up her brother. She had just picked Little D up when the phone rang again. In the kitchen she could hear Malfoy rumbling about annoying muggle contraptions. Shaking her head, Hermione entered the living room again and answered the phone.

"Granger residence. Oh, hi, Ginny. No, sorry. I can't today. Because I've got some company over, and we're taking care of my new baby brother. I'll tell you when I see you at King's Cross, okay? Great. Hey, Gin, I've gotta go. My parents left a list of chores for us to do, and I need to start my list. Okay, I'll talk to you later. Bye."

Only seconds after she hung up the phone, Hermione heard Malfoy call out to her from the kitchen.

"Who's been calling?"

"The first call was my Mom. She was just checking up on us. And this last call was Ginny Weasley. She wanted to hang out with me today, but I declined."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I'm gonna get Little Draco settled in his swing with a _Baby Einstein _video, then I'll get started on my dusting."

"Okay."

And with that, silence began it's reign in the house as Little Draco watched his video while his namesake washed dishes in the kitchen, and his sister dusted around the most active rooms on the first floor. An hour had past by the time Hermione was finally done with the dusting, and she entered the kitchen to find the newly washed dishes sparkling like diamonds in the sun shining in through the window above the sink. Impressed, she walked into the living room where Malfoy looked bored with the _Baby Einstein_ video that was playing.

"Nothing to do?"

"There's plenty to do. I just finished washing the dishes ten minutes ago, so I took Little D upstairs and changed his stinky diaper. Before you got started, you were on the phone for about five minutes, so I figured that I could afford to be lazy for a few minutes. Well, now that Little Draco is clean and occupied, let's get started on the next chore on the list."

Hermione pulled the paper out of her pajama pocket.

"I've got to vacuum and you have to wash the windows. That's probably because you're taller than I am. But, yes, let's get started. The sooner we get done, the sooner we can have fun in the sun. Into the kitchen we go, so I can show you where the stuff for washing the windows is located."

And with that, Hermione grabbed Malfoy's wrist and lead him into the kitchen and over to a singular slim door. Opening the door, Hermione pointed out each item and explain what they were for, and when she was done with that, she grabbed the vacuum, and headed up stairs to get started, while Malfoy got to work on the windows that were downstairs. It was just easier for one to be on each floor, so that when they were done on one floor and moved to the next, one of them would be able to get to Little Draco, the phone, or the door, should the need arise.

Hermione had finished vacuuming the whole house while Malfoy was still washing the windows upstairs so she decided to start on the laundry since it would only take Malfoy a few minutes to take out the garbage. She couldn't help but think that maybe Malfoy wasn't as big of an asshole as she had once thought. He was so good with her little brother, and he had impressed her parents, so he couldn't be all that bad.

She had just put the last load into the dryer when Malfoy appeared in the garage, where the washer and dryer were located. In his arms was a fussing baby boy, who was ready for a diaper change, a bottle, and a nap.

"I'll make him a bottle, and you go change him, okay?"

Malfoy nodded, saying that he'd give Little Draco his bottle, then lay him down for his nap, and then he turned and headed upstairs, while Hermione went into the kitchen to prepare the bottle. She took the bottle up to Malfoy, kissed her brother on the head, and returned to the kitchen, where she began to make lunch.


	8. Chapter 8

When Malfoy came down stairs after laying a sleeping Baby Draco in his crib, he noticed that Hermione had made them cold-cut sandwiches, a bowl of fruit salad, and what appeared to be ice-cold lemonade. His mouth suddenly became dry looking at the pitcher of lemonade. The three chores that he had down that morning had left him thirsty beyond belief. After he sat down at the table, Hermione reached towards the fruit salad, telling him that a cold lunch was perfect for today since it was pretty warm outside.

"I hope you have swim trunks, because we're going swimming when we're done with our final chores."

"Yeah, I do. What about Little Draco?"

"We have a baby monitor set up in his room. It's a video one so we can see what he's doing, or when he wakes up. And when we're swimming, he'll be in his bassinet, which is not to leave the shade of the awning, so he'll be just outside of the patio doors."

"I see. Can you pass me the lemonade, please?"

Hermione nodded, and did as he requested. Then the two of them had a rather pleasant time finding thing out about one another, like favorite colors, animals, and many other things. They had a fair amount of things in common, like the fact that they both want to have three or four kids when they were married, they both loved tigers, and both of them want to go to America for a year after they graduated from Hogwarts.

With lunch over and Malfoy washing the dishes, Hermione quickly went upstairs to grab the video baby monitor, and made her way back down to the kitchen just as Malfoy finished drying and put away the last of the dishes. The two of them headed out into the backyard, where Hermione lead the way over to the shed, where the equipment they needed was located.

"Hey, Malfoy, I heard my parents talking last night in the kitchen. They shortened your trial time. You have until the end of today to really prove yourself, and if you do, you can stay, and use our number on the applications."

"Really? That's great. I could actually get used to being around you during this summer, Hermione. I really mean that. I gotta be honest, it's a bit odd to see you without a book in your hand. But it's a rather nice change. Now, how do I start this thing up?"

Hermione walked over and told him what to do, while she actually showed him what to do, though she did leave it to him to start up the lawn mower. Once he was working on the lawn, Hermione grabbed her gardening supplies, walked over to the garden to begin pulling out the weeds and put them in a bucket that she would empty into the garbage after she was done.

Finally, after two hours, the duo was done with the outside chores. Smiling at each other, they put away their supplies and headed back into the house to wash the dirt and sweat from their hands and faces. They sat in the living room, each holding a glass of lemonade, just enjoying the fact that the chores were done, and the silence, since Little Draco was still asleep, and would be waking up within half an hour.

Or so they thought.

After sitting in silence for only five minutes, the sounds of a baby crying could be heard coming from upstairs, in the nursery. Sighing, they both took their drinks with them as they went up to tend to Little Draco.

"Malfoy, take this mobile and attach it to the bassinet downstairs, so he'll have something to look at while we're outside."

Malfoy nodded before heading into his room and changing into his simple blood-red swim trunks, which had a black stripe on the outside of each leg, and a white t-shirt, and grabbed a towel from the bathroom on his way downstairs to do what Hermione had asked of him. After he attached the mobile, he waited for Hermione to bring Little Draco down so they could go swimming.

Hermione placed her baby brother into his bassinet after Malfoy had rolled it outside and off to the side, next to the patio doors. After she placed her towel next to Malfoy's on the patio table, Hermione removed her light grey sundress so that she was now standing in front of Malfoy in her forest green string bikini, which was decorated by little black stars, and showed of her toned abdominals, awesome curves, perfect bottom, and exceptionally perfect breasts.

Turning, she noticed that Malfoy was staring at her. Hermione smirked in his direction.

"Malfoy, if you take a picture, this image will last longer."

Malfoy blushed lightly before he went to remove his t-shirt, which caused Hermione to begin staring. Now, it was Malfoy's turning to smirk as Hermione noticed how his muscles rippled under his tight skin, and his abs looked like those of a Greek God.

"Wow! You look like a God, Malfoy. But don't let that compliment go to your head. Your ego's big enough, as it is."

Malfoy simple stuck his tongue out at her before he dived into the pool, leaving Hermione to shake her head at his child antics. She checked on Little Draco once more before following Malfoy into the pool with a very impressive and graceful dive, which caused Malfoy to become aroused, but not to the point of it being obvious.

This summer would be very interesting, indeed.


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione was floating on her back, her eyes closed, thinking about how the past forty-eight hours had changed her life so suddenly. First, she finds out she has a new baby brother, who was named after her school tormenter. Second, Malfoy shows up at her house, looking ready to beg for her help, and became extremely attached to her little brother. And third, Malfoy had been very nice the whole day, as well as checking her out. But then again, she was also checking him out.

On the whole, it was a very strange start to the summer holidays, though she knew she'd be very bored if Malfoy hadn't shown up the previous afternoon.

Suddenly, cold water was dropped on her face, causing her to shriek for only a second. Turning, Hermione spotted Malfoy holding cold pool water in his cupped hands, a evil grin on his face.

"MALFOY! What did you do that for?"

"I was trying to get your attention for the past five minutes. I asked you a question, like, five times before I realized you weren't paying attention."

"Oh, sorry. What did you ask me?"

"I asked if you think we should go shower and get dressed then start on dinner. Plus, we've been out here for an hour already."

Hermione looked at him for a few seconds before she began swimming back to the stairs of the pool, leaving Malfoy to slowly follow her. When the two of them walked over to their towels, Malfoy glanced over at Hermione out of the corner of his eye, and could immediately feel his pulse quickening. He turn backto his towel just as Hermione started turning towards him. As she watched a few drops of water trail down his chest and shoulders, she was surprised at how fast her blood was flowing through her veins, and how hard her heart was pounding in her chest.

In the past, she never would've considered looking at Malfoy this way, but this summer was weird enough that it didn't bother her too much. Just another thing for her to add to the list of 'weird happenings' this summer.

When Malfoy turned back to face Hermione, she was over by the bassinet, cooing over her sweet Little Draco as she picked him up, and carried him into the house. Sighing, Malfoy headed into the house and glanced at the clock in the kitchen before he rushed up to his room. The clock had read three-thirty, meaning they had to shower quickly, then get started on dinner so it would be ready at five o'clock, when Hermione's parents got home.

As Malfoy reached for his doornob, he heard Little Draco babbling happily in his crib, and Hermione singing in the shower right across the hall from the nursery. Shaking his head to get rid of the images of a very naked Hermione in the shower, Malfoy entered his room, and headed into his private bathroom after grabbing fresh clothes from trunk, which had a 'shrink and unshrink' button on it so he could put it in his pocket.

He entered his bathroom just as he heard Hermione turn off the shower in the bathroom she was occupying, though she did continue singing. Locking the door, he quickly stripped down to his birthday suit, and hopped into the shower, starting with cold water due to a 'small' problem that had been caused by Hermione.

In the nursery, Little Draco was still babbling away, but in what appeared to be an angry tone. He was frustrated by the fact that he was in his crib, and it clearly wasn't his nap time, since he hadn't been given a bottle. Hermione opened the bathroom door, wearing a bathrobe tied around her, and entered the hall in time to see the light blue walls of her brother's room turn to a soft green, then a pale yellow, a baby pink, and finally settle on a cream color with dark brown polka dots. Rushing into the nursery, Hermione moving over to the crib and picked up the fussy baby.

Hermione was at a loss. Even if Little Draco was a muggle-born wizard, accidental magic shouldn't be happening until he was about a year or two old. He was only a month old. This was impossible. And the only person she could talk to about this was currently in his own shower. Sighing and deciding to wait until Malfoy was helping her in the kitchen, Hermione took her brother into her room, where she placed him on her bed, with pillows acting as a barricade to keep him safe, so she could get dressed into a simple light yellow sundress and white sandles.

Once she was ready, Hermione grabbed Little Draco and headed down stairs, where she made him a nap time bottle, then headed back up to the nursery. Once Little Draco had finished his bottle, Hermione changed his diaper, and laid him in his crib. He smiled softly for a moment before he closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

Hermione backed out of the nursery just as Malfoy left his room. They looked at each other for a few moments before Hermione took a deep breath.

"Malfoy, we need to talk about something."


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione and Malfoy sat in the kitchen drinking lemonade. The silence in the room was starting to make Malfoy uncomfortable, while Hermione was trying to approach the subject. Malfoy couldn't take it anymore.

"Hermione, what's wrong? You said we needed to talk, but I can't talk if I don't know what the topic is."

Hermione looked up at Malfoy and studied him for a moment.

"We have a problem. I was just leaving the bathroom after my shower, and I looked in on Little Draco, only to see his room changing colors. It stopped and returned to the right color after I picked him up."

"Wait a minute. That sounds like accidental magic."

Hermione sighed.

"That's what I thought, too, but it doesn't make sense. Even if my baby brother is a muggleborn, accidental magic shouldn't be happening until he's at least a year or so old. He's only a month. It just doesn't make any sense."

"Well, I've been told that muggleborn children can show signs of accidental magic early, if they're surrounded by two or more witches and wizards. He's been with the two of us for twenty-four hours. When we tell your parents, we should remain calm, and not make it seem like such a big deal."

Hermione nodded, looking down at her feet. Somehow, she didn't think her parents would be jumping over the moon when they received the news that their newborn son is a muggleborn wizard.

"Hermione, we should get started on dinner. We only have an hour before they get home."

Hermione stood up when Malfoy offered her his hand. She was so nervous about the reactions her parents would show when the news was dropped on them.

The first thing that they worked on was the dessert, since it needed to chill in the refrigerator for about three hours. The bottom layer was crushed Oreo cookies, mixed with butter, and packed down to form the crust on the bottom of the dessert pan. The next layer was cream cheese and cool whip mixed together, followed by a layer of chocolate pudding, and topped with the final layer of cool whip, sprinkled with the shaving from a chocolate bar.

Next, they worked on dinner. Hermione took care of the mashed potatoes, cream-style corn, and the stuffing, while Malfoy tackled the seasoned chicken breasts he was making in the skillet.

Everything was going great. The two school rivals were having fun in the kitchen, cooking a nice family meal. Draco figured that a normal family life was like this, while Hermione thought that it was almost like playing house, seeing as how they were taking care of a baby, cooking, and cleaning.

It was ten after five o'clock, and Hermione's parents weren't home yet. It was starting to worry Hermione, since her parents were never later getting home, and if they were, they called to let her know.

It was twenty after five o'clock, and Malfoy was pacing in the living room, rocking baby Draco, and singing his lullaby, trying to calm the fussy child down, as he could tell that something wasn't right. Malfoy was just as worried as Hermione, since Jane and Gabriel still weren't home.

It was five-thirty when Hermione and Malfoy heard a car pull into the driveway. The two looked at each other, and breathed a sigh of relief. However, the relief was short lived when the doorbell rang, causing Little Draco to reawaken in Malfoy's arms.

Hermione opened the door, only to find two police officers on the other side.

"Can I help you, officers?"

"Yes, you can. This is the Granger residence, correct?"

"Yes, I'm Hermione Granger."

"How old are you, Hermione?"

"I'm fifteen. I'll be sixteen in September."

"What are the names of your parents?"

"Jane and Gabriel Granger. Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

"Miss Granger, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but your parents were killed in an accident on their way home."


	11. Chapter 11

Malfoy walked up to Hermione as she placed her hand over her mouth and started to sob quietly. Little Draco was looking at the policemen outside the door with interest.

"Oh, we didn't realize you had company."

"Hmm? Oh, this Draco Malfoy. We go to the same school, and he's staying here for the summer. This is my baby brother, Draco Granger, and yes, he was named after Draco Malfoy."

"We're terribly sorry for your loss, Miss Granger. Please, let us know if you need anything."

Hermione nodded as the two men walked back to their vehicle. After they left the driveway, Hermione shut the door, slide down the wall, and broke down crying on the floor. Malfoy was at a loss. He had almost no experience comforting people, especially women. It just wasn't how he was raised. Now, however, he followed his instincts and sat down next to Hermione, and placed an arm around her shoulders, holding her and Little Draco close to him.

"It'll be okay, Hermione. We can work together to get through this."

Hermione looked up at him through her wet eyelashes, then turned her gaze to her baby brother. Nodding, she turned back to Malfoy.

"You're right. We need to work together, for Little D's sake, and for our own."

With Malfoy's assistance, Hermione got off the floor and the two teenagers, and Little Draco, went into the kitchen to eat the dinner that they had prepared, although their appetites were barely noticeable. After dinner, Hermione took her brother upstairs to get him into his pajamas and change his diaper while Malfoy made up a bottle. Hermione sat in the rocking chair and gave her little brother his bottle while Malfoy crouched next to them, singing his lullaby to help Little Draco get to sleep.

Once the baby had finished his bottle and fell asleep, Malfoy placed him in his crib, while Hermione took the empty bottle down to the kitchen to wash it. Malfoy walked into the room just in time to see Hermione tip to one side before collapsing into his arms, having fainted from the shock.

- - - - -

Hermione awoke to find Malfoy sitting next to her bed, in her bedroom, with a book on his lap. When she weakly tried to sit up, Malfoy moved to help her, handing her a glass of ice-cold water.

"What happened?"

"Well, you fainted about an hour or so ago. The weight of the shock of hearing that your parents died finally decided to crash down onto you. Hermione, I'm sorry. I really liked your father. He's stern, yet caring and protective. All my father ever was was stern. Your mother's such a kind, wonderful, pleasant woman, while my mother care more about material possessions than she did about me. Normally, I would've scoffed at the thought of being so close to muggles, but being here, with you and your family, I believe that I've never been happier."

"Did you fill out that application you got at the ice cream parlor?"

"No, not yet. We just started the summer holidays. I think my application can wait until after the funeral, Hermione. Plus, you'll be grieving, and who'll take care of Little Draco? It'll only be a week. I've already started planning the funeral, if you're okay with that. I noticed that your mother was fond of yellow tulips, and your father liked white roses. I used your computer to search for caskets in the area, and I picked out two identical ones that were white with yellow satin on the inside. I thought that you'd appreciate some of the work being taken off your shoulders. I left you the grave markers and the plots."

Hermione couldn't stop the small giggle when Malfoy said the last sentence in a playful, childish voice, and a goofy look on his face.

"What about money, Malfoy? I mean, the money my parents have in the house-safe will cover the funeral costs, but I'm not sure how we'll survive without one of us working for the summer."

"Hermione, relax. I'm sure your parents made sure you'd have money to survive on incase anything happened to them. Plus, you'll be here taking care of the baby, while I'll be working a few blocks down the street. See? Problem solved."

"Yeah, but-"

"No buts, Hermione. Think of it like this: I'm Daddy, and you're Mommy, and we have Little Draco to think about and take care of."

"You make it seem like we're playing house."

"What's 'house'?"

"When I was little, my friends and I would bring our dolls down to the park, and we'd pretend that they were our babies, and we're taking them to play at the playground, and sometimes, a few of the boys at the playground would join us, playing Daddy and going to work. You know, house."

"Okay, I see now. That's an interesting way to put it."

"Yeah. But let's talk more in the morning, okay, Malfoy? Make sure all the doors and windows down stairs are locked and check on Little Draco before you go to bed."

Malfoy nodded his head, leaving Hermione to sleep. After checking all the ground floor doors and windows, Malfoy looked in on baby Draco, who was sleeping soundly. With everything quiet, and nothing to do, he headed into his room and got ready for bed, setting his alarm clock for six-thirty in the morning.


	12. Chapter 12

A week had passed, and so had the funeral, and now Hermione was left at home to take care of her baby brother while Malfoy went to work at the ice cream parlor down the street. She still couldn't fully wrap her mind about the fact that her parents were dead, and that she and her little brother were alone in the world. Well, not completely alone. They had Malfoy with them, seeing as how he came to them for help after he ran away from home. Two Granger orphans and a runaway Malfoy. Yeah, that would be the next headliner in the Prophet if Rita Skeeter ever got her hands on the information.

It was Tuesday, early afternoon, and with Malfoy at work, and her brother in his crib, sleeping, Hermione had no one to talk to. She finally decided to go through the local newspaper, to see if there were any summer jobs open that she'd be interested in.

She was in luck when she saw that the library across the street from the ice cream parlor was in need of someone to work until school resumed, seeing as how it was quite busy with the children who always had free time in the summer.

Picking up the phone, Hermione called the library, and after answering a few questions and asking a few of her own, Hermione hung up the phone, smiling like Christmas had come early. She had gotten the job at the library, and she's be able to take her brother with her.

- - - - -

When Malfoy walked in the door at a quarter after six in the evening, it was to find his favorite meal on the dining room table: roast beef, baked potatoes, steamed string beans with a melted cheese sauce, and dinner rolls, and a happy looking Hermione holding a very giggly baby Draco in the living room.

Setting his light jacket on the coat rack, he walked over to Hermione, and plucked his little namesake from her arms, giving him a gentle, yet loving, hug, flashing Hermione a bright smile.

As they sat down to eat, with Little D in his bassinet, Hermione asked Malfoy how his day had been. After he told her about the customers comments on his 'fairy-tale prince' looks, he asked how her day had gone, without him to comfort her when she looked at her parents pictures.

"Oh, Malfoy, good news. I got a summer job down at the library. I'll be able to have Little Draco with me, and I won't be so depressed sitting here by myself. They said they won't need me after the third week of August, when all the kids around here are getting ready to go back to school. It'll only be a month and a half, but we'll be working across from each other, and we can hang out on during lunch breaks. I've seen a few of the people working at the ice cream parlor a few years ago with their babies there, in a chest carrier. Mom told me that they had gotten a new one right before Little Draco was born so we can take turns with having him during the day."

Malfoy looked at her. He knew she had been happy about something, but her getting a job to distract her from the depression of her parents death was the last thing he expected. What didn't surprise him was the fact that she had gotten a job at the library. He should've seen that one coming, since she loved her books.

- - - - -

After Little Draco had been placed in his crib for the night, Malfoy and Hermione sat in the kitchen, going over a few financial issues. Hermione told Malfoy that she was thinking about selling the house, and he told her she was crazy.

"Malfoy, this house is worth nearly $500,000. It'll give us the extra money. I mean, sure, I grew up here, but the memories are too strong. Plus, it doesn't make sense to have two home when we only use one of them."

"Two homes?"

"Yeah, my parents have a country cottage a few miles outside of London. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen/dining room, and office, and the back porch, which opens to a beautiful, large backyard. It's a light yellow, with white trim, and a white picket fence. Mom planted all the plants out there. The flowers are all perennials, and the trees were planted about six months before I was born, so they're nice and tall. Trust me, you'll love it just as much as you love this place."

Malfoy looked at the table and sighed. He knew Hermione was going to win, so why bother arguing?

"When were you planning on selling?"

"I was thinking about putting it on the market in two weeks. I mean, we only need to live here until a week before we go back to Hogwarts, when our summer jobs end. Plus, when you put a house on the market, you usually give yourself a time-limit of a month to move out."

Malfoy nodded then went back to counting the tips he had received from the customers. He had only worked one day, and he had made $35, and that didn't include what he'd be getting on his paycheck at the end of the week. On his paycheck, he'd be getting $7 an hour, and he'd be working seven hours a day, for five days a week. He knew he was getting paid every week, so he'd be bring in $245 each week.

Malfoy told Hermione that, and she looked at him, a strange look on her face.

"That's nice, Malfoy. I found out that I'll be working the same hours as you, and get paid the same amount that you do, although, I'll be getting paid every two weeks."

When they added it together, they were amazed at the amount they'd be bringing in. With one of Hermione's checks, and two of Malfoy's, they'd make $980 every two weeks, not including Malfoy's tips.

Normally, Hermione wouldn't've cared so much about money, but seeing as how she and Malfoy were working together to take care of each other and Little Draco, money was a big issue.

Tired as they were, the two teenagers decided to turn in, since they had to get up at the same time to get ready for work. They'd deal other stuff the next night.


	13. Chapter 13

The library was quiet, with the exception of people whispering questions about something they had just read and didn't understand. Hermione was currently putting books back onto their shelves, and baby Draco was asleep in the carrier on her chest. It was almost time for her lunch break, and then Malfoy would be taking the baby with him to work for the afternoon.

It was hard for Hermione to believe that she had only been working for a week. To her, it seemed like only a day, but then again, she spent most of her time at school in the library, and that caused the year to almost fly right past her.

The head librarian came around the corner and saw Hermione.

"You know, I've never had a worker that enjoyed books as much as you do. I understand that you have to leave for school on September first in the morning. Can you tell me when you'll be home next summer? I'd like to keep you on for the summers."

Hermione continued her work while she answered her boss' question.

"I'll be returning home on July first, in the evening. I'll be able to start working on the following day. You can ask the students and teachers at school where I spend my free time, and they'll all say the library. Apart from the classrooms, my dorm room and the dining room, I'm usually in the library. I'm tied for top of the class with the boy that's been taking my brother in the afternoons. It's a long story that I'm comfortable talking about. But I can pick up again next summer, if you want me to."

"Excellent. It takes two of the other girls to do the same amount of work that you do, and you get it done in half the time it takes them. I swear, you might be the only summer help I need. Thank you, Hermione. Oh, it's time for your lunch break. I'll see you in thirty minutes."

Hermione nodded and stopped what she was doing. Heading outside, she walked across the street to the ice cream shop, meeting Malfoy at one of the outside tables. As usual, he had lunch ready for them: roast beef sandwiches, potato salad, and raspberry iced tea. Dessert would be out after they were done with lunch.

"I've got good news, Malfoy-"

"Hermione, enough with calling me by my last name. I think you can call me by my first name, or a shortened version of it. Call me Draco or Drake."

"Okay. I've got good news, Drake. The head librarian wants me to continue working at the library next summer when we get out of school. She said I'm the best she has. Apparently, it takes two of the others to do what I do, and I get it done faster than they do."

Drake started laughing.

"That's funny. My boss just said the same thing to me. Well, at least we both get our jobs back when the school year is over. That's a relief. I was kinda nervous about that issue."

Hermione join Drake in laughing, until Little Draco started cooing at his sister.

"Well, hi, sweetheart. Did you have a nice nap? Look who's here, it's Big Draco."

Picking her brother out of the carrier, Hermione turned him around to face the teen he was named after. The moment their eyes met, Little Draco burst out babbling happily, a bright smile on his face. Since Hermione still had her salad to eat, and Drake was done with his food, baby Draco was passed to the male wizard so his sister could finish her food. he may have been only a month and a half old, but her knew that when they were eating outside, it was time to swap his sister for his namesake. They had established the routine right away, so he was familiar.

They had dessert and Hermione handed Drake the chest carrier and waited until her baby brother was settled safely against her classmate's chest before she sid good-bye and headed back over to the library for the rest of the working day, and Drake and Draco headed inside to do the same.

Drake, Draco and Hermione entered the house together, the youngest sleeping in the carrier again. The baby was placed in his bassinet and the two teens got to work on making dinner. It was still a bit strange for the two to live peacefully together but they were getting used to it each day.

Supper and dessert passed, and Little Draco was sleeping in his crib. Hermione and Malfoy were down in her father's office, going over more financial issues.

"I think we should have a garage sale the weekend before we put the house on the market. Some of this stuff is from all over the world, and expensive, so it'll help us to get more money for when we do move. The country cottage is closer to King's Cross than this place is. It's a win-win situation, if you ask me."

Drake nodded, although he had no clue what a garage sale was. They continued talking until ten-thirty, when they went to bed. Both knew that moving day was going to come sooner than they thought.


	14. Chapter 14

Saturday was Drake's favorite day of the week, and for good reason. He had the day off, meaning he could sleep for an extra hour or two, then lounge around for the rest of the day. He could smell bacon and eggs being cooked for breakfast, meaning that it was time for him to get up for the day.

After getting dressed and brushing his hair and teeth, Drake left his room to head downstairs. Only moments after he shut his door, his attention was caught by something flashing like crazy in the nursery. Taking the few steps until he reached the nursery door, Drake noticed that the light bulb was changing colors, as were the walls of the room. In the crib, Little Draco's face was scrunched up, like he was trying to poop and release gas at the same time.

Drake picked the baby up and cuddled him to his chest, trying to sooth the infant's frustration.

"Hey, little guy, don't go stressing yourself out like that. It's not good for you. You might pop a blood vessel, or catch unwanted attention for the muggles."

"Drake, breakfast is ready! And could you bring Draco with you? It's time for his breakfast bottle!"

Hermione moved from the bottom of the stairs, heading back to the kitchen. Drake sighed, knowing that she was not going to like what he was about to tell her. Entering the dining room, he noticed that she was reading the Daily Prophet with a scowl on her face.

"Hermione? Could you put the paper down? We have to talk about something. And we should get Potter involved."

At that, Hermione looked over her paper at him like he had lost his mind.

"Excuse me?"

"Your brother caused the walls and the light bulb in his room to change colors rapidly. My eagle owl is at the Manor, and I know that you don't have an owl. Potter's got to be filled in, especially if he wants to know why we need to use his owl. Dumbledore has to know about this so we can make arrangements, especially when we have to go back to Hogwarts."

Hermione was looking worried now. It was only the second time her brother had shown any signs of magical ability, even if it was a year early. Sighing, she looked between Draco and Drake. He was worried about the child as much as she was, she could definitly see that. Sighing, she nodded her head.

"You're right. Walking, it would take us about three hours to get there, however, if we get a taxi, it would only take us about thirty minutes or so. After breakfast, I'll pack the diaper bag, and then I'll call the taxi company."

"Shouldn't we call Potter to make sure he's going to be home?"

Hermione's laughed at the idea.

"No. It wouldn't do any good. Harry's relatives are… how do I put this? Oh, yeah, horrible. And that's putting it nicely. If you think all muggles are disgusting, wait until you meet the Dursley's. Harry's told me that he'd rather live in Azkaban than live with his Aunt and her family. If we call, they'll either say he doesn't live there and that we have the wrong number, or they'll take him and drive off for a few hours. No, the best thing is to show up unexpected. Rude as it may be, it's the best option."

This bit of information intrigued Drake. He never really knew anything about Potter's past, and it upset him a great deal, seeing as how he liked to have something to harass his classmates with. The only thing he did know was that Potter's parents were killed and that the boy had been sent to live with his muggle relatives. Outside of that, he knew nothing.

Just as the two teens started to eat their breakfast, Little Draco, who was still trying to poop, accidently burst the glass on the table that were filled with orange juice and milk, and cracked the plates that the older two were eating from, then sighed as he finally managed to fill his diaper with stinky, brown mush. Hermione and Drake stood up from the table abruptly, staring at the giggling baby.

"Hermione, I'll clear these away and make us a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and call for a taxi. You go pack the diaper bag and change Draco's diaper. We need to get control over this… now."

Hermione didn't argue. Grabbing her brother, she headed upstairs and into the nursery, where she took care of the messy diaper, then pack extra diapers and wipes, clothes, a blanket, a binky, and a rattle into the diaper bag.

When she returned to the kitchen, Drake was fixing up a thermos with warm water and formula in it, as well as grabbing a couple of bottles for the trip.

"Okay, I've called for a taxi. It'll be here in about fifteen minutes, so we gotta eat our sandwiches quick. The thermos will keep the water warm for us, and I added the formula to it so all we have to do is pour it into the bottles."

Hermione nodded, then gotta started on her 'breakfast', holding her brother while Drake gave him his bottle, since he was eating his sandwich as well. A little while later, the taxi pulled into the driveway, and Hermione, Drake, and Draco left the house, locking it behind them, and getting into the car. They were finally on their way to the Dursley's after giving the driver the address of where they needed to go.

Privet Drive was way to quiet for a Saturday. As the taxi pulled up in front of Number Four, Dudley Dursley and four of his friends were walking up the street, heading to the same place as Hermione and Drake. After paying the driver, they exited the vehicle and walked up to the door, much to Dudley's surprise.

"Can I help you? This is my house. What do you want?"

Hermione turned around quick as a flash. It was a good thing that Drake had wanted to hold on to Little Draco, otherwise she might've dropped her brother.

"Are you Dudley Dursley?"

Dudley nodded.

"Ah, good. Then you can show us in. we have some business to attend to here."

At Dudley's confused face, Drake motioned for him to open the door. Dudley told his friends he'd catch up with them in an hour, then opened the door, stepping back so that the strange trio could enter first. The house looked warm and inviting, though Hermione and Drake knew that it truly wasn't.

A creak at the top of the stairs and a gasp turned their attention to a boy with messy black hair and bright green eyes.

"Hermione?"

"Good morning, Harry. Surprise!"


	15. Chapter 15

Harry stared down at Hermione, standing next to Malfoy, who was holding a small baby. It took him a moment to register the fact that one of his best friends and his school rival were actually in Number Four Privet Drive. In a minute, Petunia Dursley's shriek jerked him out of his stupor.

"_WHO ON EARTH ARE THEY, AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE?"_

The three magical teenagers all jumped, though Malfoy only jumped slightly, since he was holding on to Little Draco, who had started to cry, causing the lights in the hallway to flicker rapidly. Within moments, Vernon Dursley stormed out of the living room, his face a very impressive shade of fuchsia, facing Hermione, Malfoy, and Little Draco.

"_WHY IS THERE A BABY CRYING, AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"_

Malfoy, who was abnormally pale to begin with, lost whatever color was in his face. Baby Draco stifled his crying and was now just whimpering. Hermione stammered for a few seconds before she finally got control of her voice.

"Mr. Dursley, I am Hermione Granger, and this is Draco Malfoy, and my baby brother, Draco Granger. Malfoy and I attend the same school as Harry, and due to unexpect-"

"_I DON'T WANT ANY OF YOU FREAKS IN MY HOUSE! GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!"_

Hermione glared at the large man before turning to face Petunia, who looked like she was about to faint.

"Mrs. Dursley, I know what your sister was. She was a muggle-born witch, and so am I. My brother is nearly two months old, and for some strange reason, he has begun showing signs of magical abilities as well. The reason for Malfoy, my brother and I being here is for us to speak with Harry. Malfoy's eagle owl is at his family's manor, and I don't have an owl. I was hoping to use Harry's owl, Hedwig, to contact Professor Dumbledore. You see, my parents died on their way home from work two days after I returned home for the summer."

At the mention of her parents, Hermione started crying softly, so Malfoy stepped up and handed her her baby brother.

"Mrs. Dursley, I do hope that you will forgive us for showing up unexpectedly, but Hermione thought it would best. We will simple talk with Potter, and then be out of your hair. It shouldn't take more than an hour or so."

Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley all looked up at Harry, who was holding on to the stair railing, his legs shaking. Petunia looked back at Hermione and nodded, ushering her husband and son back into the living room. Malfoy and Hermione looked up at Harry, who motioned for them to come up and into his room.

Malfoy stood by the window, cautiously looking out into the street every few minutes, while Hermione sat on the desk chair, Little Draco on her lap, cooing happily when she put a binky in his mouth. Harry moved over to his bed and sat down.

"Okay, so why do you need Hedwig, and exactly why is Malfoy here?"

Hermione sighed when she felt Malfoy tensed up behind her.

"Harry, my parents died two days after we returned from school. Earlier that afternoon, Draco was using some kind of magic to change the color of his nursery walls. Drake showed up the afternoon before. Apparently with his father in Azkaban, his mother became Voldemort's lover. Drake couldn't handle that, so he ran away. It was between me, you, and the Weasley's. And no, he's not tricking me. He's been a big help with Draco, and around the house, and he even got a job at a muggle ice cream shop. Despite how he treated us in school, he's changed a lot. This morning, Draco changed the color of his walls again, as well as the light in his room. I've got no living relatives, so I need to contact Dumbledore to make sure that it's okay for me to bring Draco to school with me."

Harry looked confused, but then again, it wasn't a normal day, so no surprise, really.

"Okay, you can use Hedwig. Just be careful when you leave. Uncle Vernon is really not happy, and that's not good news for any of us."

Harry frowned slightly when he saw Malfoy lean forward and whisper something in Hermione's ear. At Hermione's nod, Harry looked even more confused.

"Harry, Malfoy has suggested for your safety, you should come home with us. Don't worry, I didn't tell him everything, but he feels that you'd be safer with us rather than staying here. And I have to agree with him. So, while I'm writing to Dumbledore, why don't you pack your stuff?"

Hermione handed Draco over to Drake, turned to face the desk, and began writing her letter. Harry watched Malfoy struggle with holding the baby and digging through the diaper bag, searching for the thermos of formula and a bottle,plus the wipes and a new diaper.

"Do you want some help, Malfoy?"

Drake looked up and handed Harry the thermos and bottle. "Just fill it up to the 8-oz mark. It's still warm, so don't worry about that. Um, where can I change Draco?"

Harry looked down at the baby and gestured towards the bed before filling the bottle. After handing the bottle to Malfoy he turned and began packing his belongings into his trunk. He dropped down onto his stomach and reached under his bed to open the loose floorboard and pulling out his most prized possessions. When he had finished packing his trunk, he turned to find Hermione watching Malfoy feeding the bottle of formula to her little brother with a smile on her face.

After a few minutes, Drake set the bottle on the desk and placed Draco's head just over his shoulder, patting his back until he burped and spit up on the burp rag. Once everything was repacked in the diaper bag, the three teenagers and the baby left the room as silently as possible, heading toward the front door. Just as Harry reached for the doorknob, Petunia exited the kitchen.

"Oh, you're leaving already? And I see that you plan on taking my nephew with you. Good riddance, if you ask me. I'm sure my husband would feel the same way, if he was capable of making a coherent sentence at the moment. Just make sure that Harry does not show up here again."

Petunia turned and entered the living room, where the three magical students could here her telling Vernon what was going on. Moments later, just as Harry reached for the doorknob again, Vernon and Dudley poked their heads into the hallway.

"Good-bye, freak. Be sure to _not_ come and visit us."

Dudley nodded his agreement before the two of them pulled back into the living room, howling with delight at finally getting rid of Harry. Malfoy looked at Harry, only to be meet with a strangely blank expression, no emotion showing in his usually laughing eyes. Shrugging, Harry opened the door, leading his two classmates outside, where the same taxi waited for them. Apparently, either Hermione or Malfoy had requested that the driver stay, though he did look a little disgruntled.

The ride back to Hermione's house was silent, with the exception being Drake cooing and singing to Draco. Harry couldn't help but smile slightly, knowing that Hermione was telling the truth about the once arrogant Malfoy heir.


	16. Chapter 16

The house was quiet; too quiet for Harry's liking. It was now nearing midnight, and the only sound that could be heard was the crickets outside. He was so used to hearings snores from his housemates at Hogwarts, and his uncle and cousin. The absence of snores put Harry on high alert. To him, silence was the calm before the storm.

Suddenly, a creak was heard from the hallway, right outside the bedroom that Hermione had given him to stay in. his wand out, Harry silently crept off the bed, crawling under it as much as he could. A knock on the door made him freeze, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. A moment later, the door creaked open slightly and, from his hiding spot, he could see Malfoy's blonde head in the open space.

"Potter, are you awake? Okay, Potter, where are you?"

Harry quietly sighed, then started trying to crawl out from under the bed, with no success.

"I'm stuck under the bed, Malfoy. Care to help me out?"

Drake chuckled quietly. He should've known that Potter was paranoid enough to hide around him.

Entering the room, closing the door behind him, Drake walked around to the side of the bed that Harry's voice had come from. He dropped down onto his hands and knees, and grinned evilly at his old school rival.

"You know, I'm torn between leaving you here, and helping you out. You've been very suspicious of me since this morning, and that really hurt, Harry. I want to punish you by leaving you where you are, but that'll create more friction between us, and that'll lead to Hermione not being very happy with either of us, and then Little Draco will cause more things to go out of whack because things aren't right here, and it'll be just one mess creating another."

Harry grumbled at the long statement, but he knew that the blonde had a point.

"Fine. I'll try to give you a chance, but you gotta get me unstuck. I had a hard enough time getting under here as it was. I can't get myself out."

Drake chuckled again, and reached under the bed, grabbing Harry's wrists, and pulling as hard as he could, without doing any damage. Once Harry was free from his 'prison', the two sat on the bed, side by side, both thinking.

"Listen, Malfoy, I-"

"Drake."

"Excuse me?"

"Call me Drake, Potter. No more Malfoy. I want as little connection to that name as possible, though, it'll be hard to avoid when we go back to school."

"Fine. Drake, I'm sorry for how I've been acting today. It hasn't been normal at all, you know, and when you show up with one of my best friends, it's like the Earth decided to enter a parallel universe. How was I supposed to act? Jump and down, cheering, excited that you came to visit? You'd need to check me into the psych ward at St. Mungo's if I did that. But I do thank you and Hermione for getting me out of there."

"It's no problem, Potter. Hermione said that your relatives were absolutely horrible. She didn't say much about them after that, but just the way they reacted when they saw us made me think that you'd be safer with others like you."

Harry nodded, then looked at the floor instead of the wall.

"Drake, what did Hermione mean when she said it had been between her, me, and the Weasley's?"

Drake fidgeted nervously for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"It means that I thought Hermione was the more level headed of your trio, and therefore was more likely to help me. If she turned me away, I would've gone to you. Everyone at school says you have a 'saving-people/hero-complex' thing, and I figured that, despite how I've treated you in the past, you'd try and help me as much as you could. The Weasley's are not quite as forgiving toward me as you or Hermione. Maybe Mrs. Weasley is, but I wouldn't know. I would've gone to them if I knew they would take me in for just the summer, or even a part of it. When your mother is the lover of your father's leader, you tend to rethink your loyalties."

The two let silence ring loudly in their ears for several minutes, before Harry spoke again.

"Drake, look, I'm not comfortable with telling anyone about life with the Dursley's, not even my friends. I'll tell you this, though: you caught them on a relatively good day. Now, I'm sorry if I'm acting a little rude at the moment, but I would like for you to go back to your room. I want to get to sleep, or at least try to. It's hard without the snores from Seamus, Dean, and Ron, or even my uncle and cousin. Neville doesn't snore, which I thought was odd since he seemed like the type that would snore loudly. Good night, Drake."

Drake got up from the bed and walked to the door placing his hand on the knob.

"Good night, Harry. I'll see you in the morning. Just be glad it's the weekend, since Hermione and I both work during the week."

Drake disappeared into the dark hallway, closing the door behind him. Harry dived under his blankets, and cuddled into his pillow. Yes, it had been a strange day, but it turned out to be the best he'd had so far this summer. Maybe he could get used to Draco Malfoy being around all the time.

Maybe.

X X X X X

_Sorry for the short chappy! I just haven't had the 'brain blast' to come up with a truly good chapter. With 4 HP fanfics, writing one while hatching a idea for another makes writing a bit hard on one's noggin. Remember to send reviews! Just take it easy with the flames! I like fire, I just don't like being burnt._


	17. Chapter 17

Drake and Hermione both woke to silence and the smell of scrambled eggs, with cheese and ham, bacon, and wild berry muffins. There was only one other person in the house that could be causing the delicious aroma: Harry Potter. The two left their rooms and looked at each other, then headed into the nursery, only to find baby Draco missing. Panicking, they rushed down stairs and into the kitchen, and saw Harry standing at the stove, making breakfast, and Draco in his downstairs bassinet, cooing around his binky at the ceiling.

Harry sensed the presence of his friend and his ex-rival. "Good morning. I hope you don't mind, but I thought I'd let you sleep a while longer. Little Draco already had his bottle, and he's been changed, and dressed, as you can see. All you two have to do is enjoy breakfast. I've done all of the dusting down here already, and the windows, of course."

"Harry, you don't have to do this."

"I know, Hermione, but I just can't sit and do nothing. I figured that I'd help out while I'm here. After all, yesterday, you said that you both work down the street. You two can go to work, and I can stay here and take care of the cooking and cleaning, and watch after Draco, if you want me to."

Hermione turned to look at Drake. At his nodded, she sighed.

"Harry, that'd be alright. It's just that, I'm afraid of leaving you here, alone. There are still Death Eaters, and Voldemort out there. Drake, however, seems to think that you'll be alright by yourself here."

Drake stepped forward and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Harry, this would help us out, a lot, really. Hermione, think about it: supper ready when we get home, no cleaning to do at night or on the weekends, and we can get more done at work if Draco is here with Harry."

Hermione nodded, still unsure about leaving her friend at the house without help or protection. A moment later, the phone started ringing, causing Little Draco to jerk slightly and start crying. Drake moved to pick up the baby while Hermione went to answer the phone.

"Hello? Oh, hey, Gin. Sorry I never home when you call. I got a summer job at the library down the street from my house, so I'm there almost every day. Oh, well, I don't know. Yeah, I have heard from Harry. No, I was just speaking with him. He's been rescued by me from his relatives. He's staying here. In the kitchen, making breakfast. (Sigh.) Alright, Ginny, you can come over this coming Saturday. Yes, Ron, too. Just tell him to be prepared for a surprise, and he had better not start any fights or arguments. Okay, see you next weekend. Bye."

Placing the phone back onto the cradle, Hermione sighed. She was dreading the coming weekend, and everything that she knew would happen. She returned to the kitchen to find Harry setting the table and Drake kneeling beside the bassinet, playing _peek-a-boo_ with his namesake.

"We're going to be having a couple of guests over this weekend."

Harry and Drake both froze, unsure of what to do or how to react.

"Who is it, Hermione?"

Drake asked the question, and Harry was dreading the answer.

"Ginny just called. Her and Ron want to come over and visit this weekend."

Both teen males paled. Neither of them was sure that it was a good idea for the two youngest Weasley children to come over, especially since Harry was still getting used to Drake being around and friendly.

"Um, 'Mione, are you sure that it's a good idea? I mean, Ginny might be cool with this whole thing, but Ron's gonna blow the roof of when he finds out."

"I told Ginny to tell Ron to be prepared for a surprise, and not to start any fights of arguments."

"You know how Ron is. He'll agree to those terms but when he finds out, he'll go nuclear. This is not going to go well, I can feel it in my stomach."

"I know, Harry, but once Ron gets used to the idea the Drake isn't the same guy he used to be, he'll come around."

Harry and Drake looked at each other, unconvinced of Hermione's prediction. The only way to find out Ron's reaction would be to wait out the week, then greet him and Ginny when they arrived on Saturday. And wait they would, for Hermione was determined that Ron would come around eventually.

X X X X X

The week had gone by faster than Drake and Harry would've liked. True, Harry did have a meal waiting every evening, the house was almost sparkling from the cleaning, and Draco was always awake and happy to greet his older sister and his namesake when they returned home from work.

It was Friday night and Harry was unsure about what he should make for lunch and supper the next day, since Ron and Ginny were due to arrive around twelve-thirty in the afternoon. It was almost hell on him, because trying to figure out what Ron and Ginny would like just kept leading back to Ron's reaction to Drake, whom Harry had gotten close with over the past week.

"Harry, relax. The worst that Ron can do is let out a string of swear words, threaten Drake, actually hit or punch Drake, then storm out of here. That's the worst-case scenario. Don't worry about it. Want some help choosing the menu for tomorrow?"

Harry shook his head, staring down at the cook book on the counter.

"No, I've got it, Hermione. I'm just nervous. Remember our fourth year? Ron stopped talking to me because my name came out of the goblet, even though I didn't enter in any way, shape, or form. I'm afraid that Ron'll stop being our friends when he finds out that we're also friends with Drake now."

"I know, Harry. I'm nervous about it, too, but we can't just assume the worst based on things that have happened in the past. Come on, Drake is getting a movie ready for us. You can focus on food after that, before bedtime."

Harry sighed, closing the cook book. He knew that tomorrow would end up as the worst-case scenario, but there was nothing he could do about it tonight. Getting up from the stool he was sitting on, Harry followed Hermione into the living room, where Drake and Draco were already waiting for them with a bowl of air-popped popcorn. They had over twelve hours to worry about Ron's behavior. Why jumble up nerves when they didn't need to be?


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. College classes took up a lot of my time, and I just didn't get around to writing a new chapter until now. Thanks for being so patient with me.**_

The house was sparkling, and lunch was almost ready. Ron and Ginny were due to arrive in five minutes and everyone except baby Draco were nervously pacing. Harry kept rushing to check on the food, and Hermione was constantly straightening the throw pillows on the couch. Drake was standing by the stairs, about ready to run for cover should Ron feel the need to strike out at something.

At 12:29 p.m., the sound of Draco filling his diaper with brown goop brought the other three back to Earth. With the youngest Weasley's arriving any second, Drake to the opportunity to disappear for a few minutes, leaving Harry and Hermione to prepare Ron and Ginny for the shock of their lives.

Just as Drake entered the nursery with Draco, the doorbell rang, and the sound of happy greetings traveled up to him. As he set the baby on the changing table, he sighed and began talking softly to the young child.

"Draco, I'm going to need you to protect me here. Even though the Weasel is a barbarian, I doubt he'd hit anyone that's holding a baby. I can't deny that I'm scared about how their reactions are going to be, but I've got to face the music, as they say. Just give me the strength to not panic right now."

Finishing up with the changing, Drake picked Draco up and, taking a deep breath, left the safety of the nursery, knowing that he was practically walking to his death. Just as he reached the last step, he heard Hermione and Harry explaining that someone from school was there, and that even though they had a difficult past with them, it should not be held against them, and that Ron and Ginny should try and get over the past and start fresh. With that, Drake appeared in the living room, little Draco cradled in his arms, looking like a ghost with how pale and nervous he was.

Ron was the first to notice him and, right on cue, turned a deep red-purple color, causing Drake to step back and for the others to turn and see what had made Ron so angry. Just as Ron lunged for him, Hermione and Harry grabbed ahold of his arms, and held him back. This made Ron even angrier.

"Are you guys insane? You're letting a Slytherin, and not just any Slytherin, but a Malfoy, run free in your house! And handle your brother, 'Mione! What has he done to brainwash the both of you?"

Ginny looked from her brother, to Harry and Hermione, to Drake and Draco, then back to her brother, clearly unsure about how to react.

"He hasn't done anything, Ronald! He came here for help because of some troubles at home. And who am I to not help a fellow student when it really counts? I mean, sure, we never got along in school, but I've seen Drake change this summer, and for the better, I might add. Before Harry came here, Drake helped out with the cooking and the cleaning, and has been helping to take care of my brother. He also has a part-time job down the street. He's changed for the better. Just give him a chance, and you'll see that."

Ron turned to look at Harry, knowing that he'd give him the backup he needed.

"Sorry, Ron, but Hermione is right. I've only been here for a week, but I've seen the changes in him. Drake's a good guy. He's just had a rotten home life in the past. And this summer was worse for him then ever before."

Ron huffed and turned to look out the window, clearly uninterested in hearing the story. Ginny decided to speak for the first time, and it was a simple question.

"What happened at home that made him come here?"

Harry and Hermione looked to Drake, silently telling him that it was his story, and so he should be the one to explain. Sighing, Drake shifted Draco to his other arm, and sat down on the armchair that he was always in when sitting with Draco.

"After my father was sent to Azkaban, my mother seemed distraught. When I arrived home after the train ride back to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, I found out that her being distraught was all an act. I found out that she had been the lover of Voldemort before he first fell, and now that he's back, they've started up again. When my father went to prison, Voldemort made himself at home in the Manor, and I ran away that night, because I couldn't handle the idea that my mother was _proudly_having an affair with the Dark Lord, while my father was sitting, alone, in Azkaban. I came here to escape my family. Hermione and her parents took me in and I'm grateful for it. When Gabriel and Jane died, Hermione and I became partners, so to speak, when it came to taking care of the house. (Light chuckle.) I bet Hermione didn't tell you that her parents named her brother 'Draco', did she? I was shocked about that myself, to tell you the truth. But I've become attached to this little guy, and this summer has truly changed me."

Ginny sat silently, while her brother was still fuming by the window. Hermione and Harry looked at Ginny, using their eyes to ask her to accept this new Draco Malfoy. Nodding, Ginny held out her hand for Drake to shake, while Ron fell silent, glaring daggers at his friends, and Malfoy, of course.

Harry looked over at Ron, nervousness written, plain as day, on his face. He had known Ron since his very first day at Hogwarts, and they had been best friends since then, but he was quickly becoming comfortable having Drake around all the time. All of a sudden, he remembered hearing some of the girls from elementary school singing a song from their Girl Scout troop: _MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD. ONE IS SILVER AND THE OTHER'S GOLD._ Maybe the fact that Gryffindor's colors include gold, and Slytherin's colors include silver, but that little song seemed to ring true for both Hermione and himself.

"Okay, then, since everyone now knows what's going on, I suggest that we continue this discussion over lunch, or better yet, after we put Little Draco down for his nap later. By the way, Ron, lunch is ready, and I made more than I needed to. Let's go eat."

Ron calmed down a bit at the mention of food, and turned to follow Harry into the kitchen. Ginny looked at Hermione and saw that she was watching Drake and Draco with happy tears glazing her eyes. Harry stuck his head back into the living room and announced that lunch was on the table, and if they planned on getting any of the food, then they had better get into the dining room.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: So Sorry about this really late update. Moving sucks big time. After the semester ended I had to move, so I wasn't able to find the time to update my stories. But now I'm back. Enjoy the chapter!

Lunch was tense, but quiet, with the exception being Draco cooing in his bassinet, and Drake cooing right back at him. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all found the display adorable and heart-warming, but Ron felt that it was all for show. There was absolutely no way that a Malfoy would lower himself to baby-talk, and especially in front of others.

But here it was, the evidence that a person could change if the situation called for it. Ron recalled that Hermione had said that Malfoy had gotten a job, a muggle job, and from the tone of her voice, it seemed that he enjoyed the work. And helping out around the house? It turned out that Malfoy was actually capable of cleaning and cooking, and apparently changing dirty diapers.

'When you put all the facts together, and see it for yourself, I guess that he really has changed. But, will it last after school starts in the fall?'

After lunch, Drake handed Draco to Hermione, saying that it was his turn to wash the dishes and clean up after lunch. That made both of the Weasley's stop in their tracks. No hissy fit about having to do a simple house chore while the rest of the group relaxed? No insisting that someone help him? What was the world coming to, if Draco Lucius Malfoy was actually doing housework, without help, and without complaining? Oh, well, no use trying to understand the complex nature of the universe.

Hermione was rocking Draco while Ginny told her about the happenings at home, and Harry was trying to explain muggle chess to Ron, when Drake came in, leanig against the door frame, smiling at Hermione and Little Draco, the latter turning and babbling at him the moment he was spotted. Moving into the room, he reached for the baby.

"It's just about time for Draco to take his nap. I'll go change him, and give him his bottle, then lay him down. I'll be back down in a little while."

Smiling at Hermione and Harry, Drake nodded to the Weasley's and left the room, heading for the blessed peace of the nursery. While he was feeding Draco, he told him about the two red-heads that were there.

"The girl is Ginny Weasley. She's the youngest in the family, and the only girl. She's a year younger than me, 'Mione, and Harry. A fiesty temper and a quick wand are her most dangerous features. And the boy is Ron Weasley. He's 'Mione and Harry's best friend. He's our age, and like his sister, he's got a bad temper, but he's pretty good at Wizard's Chess."

Looking down at the baby, who was sleeping now, Drake smiled. This simple family life was something he could get used to, even if it also included Harry and the Weasley family. After laying the baby down, Drake returned the bottle to the kitchen and then entered the living room, where Hermione was setting a board game, Clue, on the coffee table. All five of them could play, if Ron was open to the idea of playing with the blonde teen. He sat in his chair and waited until someone talked to him. Shockingly, it was Ron who spoke.

"You can join us if you want to. We're not going to bite, and I'm not going to explode at you. We've already picked out your character. You get to be Mr. Green. Harry's Prof. Plum, and I'm Col. Mustard. Hermione is Mrs. White and Ginny is Mrs. Peacock. Ms. Scarlett is out because the girls couldn't stop fighting over her."

Ron smiled a little at Drake, who smiled back and sat on the floor.

A/N: Sorry it's short, but an update is an update, and I want to update all my stories right away. Please let me know what you think.


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